8 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Jessie Saruk turns 98, but visitors to popular ex-teacher restricted due to pandemic BY JOHN MATHER With the Covid-19 crisis restricting visitors Jessie Saruk celebrated her 98th birthday April 20 at the Lamont Beaverhill Lodge. Many in Lamont will know Saruk, since she taught grade 2 in the town from the early 50s until the early 1980s. Sometimes she has touched three generations of the same family, said her son Bertrand, interviewed at his home near Seattle, Wash. During some Remembrance Day services in
the community it was Jessie who often recited in Flanders Fields. Jessie retired from teaching in 1981. But, he added, she often went back to work as a substitute after she retired. Jessie, said her son, attended the United Church in town, but was also a member of the congregation at Huwen United Church, east of Lamont where her father had been the first pastor. “She never had a bad student,” said her son. “She loved every one of the kids. Even the bad
ones were pretty good.” But, he said, she was always looking out for the welfare of her students. “One time the superintendent came in and told her she was going to get a new desk,” said Bertrand. “Well, she said she didn’t want a new desk, she wanted her students to have new desks.” He said the students did get new desks and she maintained her old wooden one. “Well, when she retired she was given her
Thief shelters in place at Lamont’s Heartland Hotel
BY JANA SEMENIUK The Heartland Hotel, located near Lamont, was broken into by way of a ground floor window leading into a hotel suite during the late evening hours on Apr. 12. General manager Joy Candia said the break in went initially undiscovered. “We had only one guest in the hotel at the time,” said Candia. “I did not see a notification on my phone about the motion sensor going off on Sunday night, until Tuesday morning.” Candia added that she was horrified when she checked the security camera footage. “I received a notifica-
tion on Tuesday morning about the motion sensors,” she said. “I was shocked to see that someone had broken into a window on the ground floor into a suite on Sunday and did not leave until Monday night.” She also saw that the perpetrator helped himself to the breakfast bar. “He stole a gallon of orange juice and some muffins,” she said. “He also went through the front desk, the laundry machine, and stole some keys for the vending machine. He must have been so hungry.” Candia added that the keys were later found by a Lamont resident who
The Heartland Hotel, located on hwy 15 near Lamont, was the scene of a break in on Apr. 12.
saw them in her outdoor garbage can. “He stayed overnight in the suite on Sunday and left sometime Monday night,” said Candia. “It scares me because I was supposed to clean his room that day, Monday. But something told me to wait until another day.” Candia expressed fear about the possibility of surprising the thief. “What would have happened if I had gone into that room when he was there? What if he had a weapon?” she said. “I think it was angels whispering to me.” Candia said she immediately called 911 upon seeing the security footage. “The police came out and got a statement from me and collected security footage,” she said. Property manager Chad Irving confirmed Candia’s account and added that upgraded security is being looked into. Police were unable to provide details on the crime at this time.
old desk,” he related. He said the desk has now been passed on to his son in Vancouver. Bertrand said their family has mostly moved from Lamont, with a daughter in Toronto and one in Winnipeg. He added she has six grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren across the country from Newfoundland to B.C. “I know there was a cake brought in, but no one from outside was able to come in to help her celebrate,” he said. “And she’ll be getting plenty of phone calls from across the country.”
Jessie Saruk, a former Lamont elementary school teacher, celebrated her 98th birthday on Apr. 20. In this file photo, she is set to go to a retirement party for a friend within the last year.
Happy Birthday to Jessie Saruk, who celebrated her 98th on April 20, 2020! Being a long time resident of Lamont, and now residing at Beaverhill Lodge, Jessie is a retired teacher from the Lamont District, where some of her students have included 3 generations of families!
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The Village of Chipman is seeking a candidate for a Public Works Labourer May 11, 2020 through the end of August. Under the supervision of Chipman Public works, the participant will be required to carry out a variety of maintenance and general labour – related duties. This is a hands on position involving a variety of tasks including: -grass cutting and grounds maintenance -painting curbs, public works buildings and facilities -general clean-up -light servicing of grounds maintenance equipment Please submit resume/application no later than April 30, 2020 to: The Village of Chipman Administration Office 4816-50th Street Chipman, AB T0B 0W0 Fax: (780) 363-2386
We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those who have been selected for an interview will be contacted.